Julia Sude handles partner switch well

With so many German names among the women who left their mark in the world of beach volleyball over the past decade, those of Julia Sude, Chantal Laboureur and Karla Borger are certainly among the most acclaimed. Sude, who partnered with both Laboureur and Borger, switching from one talented teammate to another half-way through the Olympic cycle, certainly handled the change well and stayed focused on success.

Julia Sude played with a number of different partners from 2003, when her international career on the beach started at the U18 level, to 2013, when she teamed up with Chantal Laboureur. In the early years, she claimed three World Championship and two European Championship medals in various age categories, but the most memorable moment for her was the 2010 German national title alongside Jana Kohler.

However, Sude never managed to win an FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour medal before joining forces with 2008 U19 world champion Laboureur. They started playing together internationally at the beginning of the 2013 season. Their first World Tour event was the Anapa Open in July. In December they celebrated their first Tour medal when they snatched a Durban Open silver.

From July through September 2014, Sude played a number of World Tour events in a tandem with Laura Ludwig, with a Stare Jablonki Grand Slam silver as their best results. But during that period, she continued playing very successfully alongside Laboureur at continental tour stops. They got back together full-time in 2015 and continued their path as a pair through the end of 2018, adding nine more World Tour podiums, including two golds, both at the highest level – the 2016 Porec Major and the 2017 Gstaad 5-star.

However, within the big German teammate reshuffle between the 2018 and the 2019 seasons, triggered by the retirement of Olympic and world champion Kira Walkenhorst, Julia Sude decided to partner up with Karla Borger, someone she had known since way back in their childhood years and with whom she had earned bronze back at the 2009 CEV U23 European Championship.

“We met a long time ago. The funny part is that the parents of both Karla and me were active players, so we had nothing to do but watch their games. We would then go to the free courts and start playing together. It’s funny that the circle is connected, and we found each other again,” Sude said.

“I did not see our team (with Chantal) making the right sort of progress for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers. That’s why I made the decision to target Olympic qualifying with Karla Borger. Our goal is to qualify for the Games and to establish ourselves in the top five in the world.”

And they are well within reach of their first target. After winning their first World Tour medal together, a 2019 Kuala Lumpur 3-star bronze, and winning their first World Tour gold together at the 2019 Qinzhou 3-star, along with a number of other elite finishes, Sude and Borger are now at number 18 of the FIVB World Ranking. They are also the highest placed German pair in the provisional Olympic qualification ranking and well above the cutoff line for Tokyo.

“I always cherish every medal I have won because it’s the reward for all the sacrifices and hard work you put in the sport you love,” Sude said.

Her dream to make her first Olympic appearance was delayed by a year, but she sees this as an opportunity. She even looks further, beyond this year’s Games in Tokyo.

“The good part is that you can always improve and add something or try something new. So, we take it as a chance!” the 33-year-old German said. “You never know what life prepares for you. I am still motivated and as long as my body doesn't have any issues, it’s fun to play and you can live from it, I am ready for the next Olympic cycle!”

Right now she believes she has the right teammate for the job, with Karla Borger who has already had her taste of the Olympic experience with her ninth-place finish in Rio. Sude says their partnership is “flexible, competitive and experienced,” while Karla has faith in Julia’s never-give-up attitude.

“She twisted her ankle in the semis of our last tournament in China,” Borger remembered. “I wasn’t sure if she could continue playing and no one really knew she was injured. She had trouble jumping and she was in a lot of pain warming up. I was already thinking that we were not going to play the final. We would just try to serve well and whenever she felt bad, we would just have to step out of the final. But the first balls she got in reception were amazing. I was like, she’s injured, but it’s working! In that moment, she was on fire!”

“You should never give up if you want to achieve your goals. There are sacrifices to make,” Sude said. “It’s not always a straight line to your goals, so you have to continue focusing and enjoying the journey.”

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